JIM EVANS: Don't forget to say thanks

There is plenty to be thankful for, and a prayer or two would be appropriate.

Thankful for the family that surrounds me. It is an annual tradition that we gather every Thanksgiving at my momís house.

She is in her 80s and we have tried to convince her for years that we will bring all the food, but she is still not having it.

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So the turkey is still on her. So is the stuffing, the gravy and the rolls. Donít forget the green beans in cream of mushroom soup topped with onion rings, mashed potatoes and the jello salad with mandarin oranges.

P.S. What about the pumpkin pie and the apple pie?

All right, we might try to sneak in a cheese ball rolled in walnuts. Or maybe some spinach dip in a rye bread bowl.

We will say thanks for all of those who have gathered, and for those who no longer have that option.

Dadís gone; he died years ago. My brother, Bill, is gone, too, felled by a rare neurological condition.

But the circle of life continues. There have been two children born into the family in the last year alone. They join a small herd of others.

So there is plenty to be thankful for.

Me, I am going to be selfish and say a prayer of thanks for my wife, Kim. She is undoubtedly the best thing that has ever happened to me and is definitely the reason Iím still around to eat way too much, unbutton my pants while reclining on the couch, and mutter quiet obscenities while the Lions toil.

I was diagnosed with kidney cancer several years ago. The cancer had spread to my bone, lungs and brain. By most accounts, there should be one more empty seat at momís for Thanksgiving.

But I am still here, thanks to the hard work of my wife who tirelessly makes sure I stick to the doctorís prescribed regime. Iím here because of the doctors at Karmanos Cancer Institute and the good Lord, too. Why He has looked down so kindly on me I could not say. I guess God does not need a second-rate writer toiling for the Divinity Press. Either that, or my room in the eternal basement flat where all they play is Vanilla Ice music is not quite ready yet.

Have a great Thanksgiving, everybody. Take time to consider your life for a moment or two. All of us have something to be thankful for.

Even the most wretched Detroit Lionsí fans among us. Pass the turkey, gravy and remote control for the television.